Enhancing Regional Mining Ecosystems in the European Union

3. Strengthening regional conditions for European Union mineral autonomy and local well-being

Abstract

This chapter examines the roles of subnational authorities in governing mining and presents policy priorities to enhance enabling conditions in ten EU regions to implement responsible mineral-related projects within the framework of the CRMA and secure positive outcomes for communities and the environment.

Main findings

• The European Union (EU) Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) marks a renewed support to domestic supply of mineral raw materials, aiming among others to more than triple EU consumption of strategic minerals from domestic extraction by 2030. Implementing the projects to attain the CRMA’'s goals in a social and environmental responsible way requires a coherent and placed-based approach focused on improving the enabling conditions at the subnational level and the involvement of local governments and stakeholders.

• While national governments set the national goals and permitting parameters related to activities in the mining sector, subnational governments are relevant to implement mining policies and goals by, among other things: i) creating an enabling environment for competitive and sustainable mining; ii) ensuring mining delivers tangible value to local communities; and iii) supporting transparent and efficient permitting processes with community participation.

• Subnational strategies on mineral raw materials can provide better alignment of mineral-related activities in the local economy and encourage more responsible mining practices. This vision can help create shared views for the role of mining across the population, highlight the potential benefits of the sector and offer tools to mitigate negative effects. The Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia, Spain, and the mining plan of the municipality of Sodankylä in Finland are good examples.

• Regions are well placed to help address skill gaps and workforce shortages for mineral-related projects by improving skills matching through better collaboration between educational institutions and mining companies, easing access to training for an interested workforce, often directly in the municipalities with mining potential, improving mining career opportunity outreach for youth and women and enhancing regional attractiveness for new workers and their families (childcare, language programmes).

• Regional innovation ecosystems are relevant to advance both environmentally sustainable practices in mining and unlock local value-added opportunities in host communities. Regions need to improve their mining innovation ecosystems by boosting stakeholder co‑operation to facilitate testing, upscale local research centres and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and agree on priorities to move from innovation to commercialisation. They can also address regional actors’ information and capacity gaps in view of accessing funding and helping channel complementary funding for local innovation.

• Regions can leverage mining projects to improve both economic competitiveness and community access to quality and sustainable road and energy infrastructure. To do so, regional governments need to enhance co‑ordination on infrastructure planning, investment and maintenance, including common transport plans with resource industries or agreements to support the maintenance of existing infrastructure. They can also incentivise renewable energy deployment for industrial and community needs, for example supporting the establishment of energy communities.

Introduction

The European Commission and its member states have prioritised the strategic need for securing a reliable supply of minerals to advance EU climate goals and improve economic sovereignty. To this end, the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) approved in 2024 has set a number of measures to increase supply of minerals from the European Union and recycling sources.

Given the geographic concentration of mineral deposits, regions and communities are instrumental in helping achieve EU goals of greater mineral self-sufficiency. While national governments across the European Union tend to be in charge of mineral policy and regulations, EU regions have important roles to play in improving regional conditions to facilitate the deployment of mining projects that meet high environmental standards and translate into greater economic and social outcomes for communities. To this end, subnational authorities and actors can enhance a number of enabling factors for mining and local well-being, including a policy framework that links mining to the local economy, regional labour supply, a regional innovation ecosystem for sustainability and facilitating infrastructure at the regional level.

This chapter examines actions to enhance enabling conditions in ten EU regions, to implement sustainable mineral-related projects within the framework of the CRMA and secure positive outcomes for communities. The chapter begins with an overview of the relevance of mining for the European Union and EU policies to support the sector. It then highlights the complementary roles of subnational and national authorities in governing mining. Finally, it presents policy priorities to strengthen regional enabling factors, aligning with the CRMA and promoting long-term, value-added development for host communities.

The relevance of minerals for EU society and industry

Critical minerals play a pivotal role in the European Union and global economies, serving as the foundation for clean energy transitions and technological advancements. These minerals, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper and aluminium, are essential for a wide range of applications, from electric vehicle motors and batteries to solar panels and electricity networks.

A geopolitical momentum for mining

The demand for minerals is set to increase dramatically in coming years, driven by the global push towards decarbonisation and digital transformation. Under a conservative scenario of phasing out fossil fuels with today’s policy settings, the mineral demand for clean energy technologies is projected to double by 2030 (IEA, 2024[1]). In particular, demand for lithium is set to grow fivefold between now and 2040, while demand for graphite is estimated to almost double over the same period. Demand for nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements also shows robust growth, increasing by 65-80% by 2040 (IEA, 2024[1]).

For some minerals, the demand required for the energy transition is greater than current production levels. Clean energy technologies tend to require more minerals than fossil-fuel-based counterparts, a typical electric car requiring about six times more minerals than a conventional one (e.g. lithium, cobalt, manganese and graphite are crucial for battery performance and longevity) (IEA, 2024[1]). While in recent years, substantial investments have been made in mineral supply, in cases such as cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements, the expected supply by 2035 from both existing and future projects does not meet the requirements of future demand scenarios (IEA, 2024[1]).

Access to sustained and reliable sources of minerals has become a policy priority across several countries. The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine have added further pressure to the supply and prices of minerals. It has led many OECD countries to prioritise reliable access to mineral raw materials, establishing national mineral strategies either to ensure access to mineral supplies from other countries or secondary sources or to promote mining projects domestically (Table 3.1).

Table 3.1. National policies for reliable mineral supply (selected)

Country	Policy	Goal
Australia	Critical Minerals Strategy	Aims to enhance mineral production, processing and supply chains through sector collaboration, supported by a budget allocation of AUD 1.7 billion in the 2024‑25 budget to foster innovation and conduct geological surveys, including AUD 566.1 million allocated to these surveys.
Brazil	National Mineral Policy, Mineral Policy National Council	The policy aims to implement actions through a National Mining Plan for long-term sector planning and a Goals and Actions Plan with a six-year horizon, emphasising collaboration among government entities and stakeholders to enhance Brazil’s competitiveness in the global mineral market.
Canada	Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (2022)	The strategy aims at securing supply chains for 31 critical minerals essential to the global energy transition. Central to the strategy is a 30% Critical Minerals Exploration Tax Credit to incentivize mineral exploration. The strategy also includes measures to accelerate project development, by setting a five-year target for completing federal impact assessments and a two-year permitting timeline for non-federally designated projects.
Japan	Plan for the Development of Marines Energy and Mineral Resources	Policy to raise Japan’s self-sufficiency in mineral resources, particularly base metals, to over 80% by 2030 is part of Japan’s broader strategy for resource management.
Korea	Strategy for Industrial New Growth through Invigoration of Circular Economy	Aims to accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices across various industries to promote carbon neutrality and enhance competitiveness. The strategy focuses on maximising resource efficiency, reducing waste and securing internal supply chains for core resources through nine targeted projects in key sectors.
New Zealand	Minerals Strategy for New Zealand	The strategy focuses on increasing mineral exports, improving public understanding of resources and securing critical mineral supply chains. It aims to balance economic growth with environmental and social responsibility, emphasising domestic processing, investment and resilience in supply chains, particularly for critical minerals.

Sources: Australia: Australian Government (2023[2]), Critical Minerals Strategy 2023-2030, https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/critical-minerals-strategy-2023-2030; Brazil: Government of Brazil (2022[3]), Brazilian Mineral Policy, https://anmlegis.datalegis.net/action/TematicaAction.php?acao=abrirVinculos&cotematica=15843949&cod_menu=6783&cod_modulo=405; Korea: IEA (2023[4]), Strategy for Industrial New Growth through Invigoration of Circular Economy, https://www.iea.org/policies/17986-strategy-for-industrial-new-growth-through-invigoration-of-circular-economy.

On top of the geopolitical disruptions for mineral supply, some countries are imposing export restrictions to their mineral production. While countries justify these restrictions to foster local value-added activities, they are limiting access to critical minerals for global supply. For example, Indonesia announced restricted export of unprocessed nickel in 2020 and bauxite in 2023, Namibia and Zimbabwe doing the same for lithium (OECD, 2023[5]). Since 2009, export restrictions on critical raw materials have increased fivefold (Kowalski and Legendre, 2023[6]).

In this context, OECD countries have identified the minerals that face greater disruptions in the supply chain and that are more relevant to their industrial and social needs. These types of minerals are often categorised as critical minerals or energy transition minerals. In 2024, the European Union identified a list of 55 critical raw materials, considered to be critical due to their high economic importance and their exposure to high supply risk, often caused by a high concentration of supply from a few non-European countries (Box 3.1).

Box 3.1. The European list of critical raw materials

The European Commission has created a list of critical raw materials (CRMs) by assessing non‑energy, non-agricultural raw materials based on their economic importance and supply risk. Economic importance reflects a material’s value to the EU economy and its industries, adjusted by the availability of substitutes. Supply risk evaluates the likelihood of disruptions, considering the concentration of supply in specific countries, their governance, trade stability and the European Union’s reliance on imports. Recycling and substitution are factored in as ways to reduce risk (European Commission, 2023[7]).

The CRM list is updated periodically to reflect market changes. In 2011, 14 materials were listed as critical; by 2020, the list expanded to 30 materials out of the 66 assessed. The fifth and most recent list (2023) mentions 34 CRMs. Materials are chosen for their role in vital technologies like solar, wind, battery and hydrogen systems.

The European Union has identified two key categories of raw materials: CRMs essential to the EU economy but facing significant supply risks; and strategic raw materials – a subset of CRMs – distinguished by their role in strategic technologies and their projected high-demand growth. Certain measures under the CRMA apply exclusively to these strategic raw materials, securing their supply and supporting EU industrial resilience.

Table 3.2. List of EU critical raw materials, 2023

Aluminium/bauxite	Coking coal	Lithium	Phosphorus
Antimony	Feldspar	LREE	Scandium
Arsenic	Fluorspar	Magnesium	Silicon metal
Baryte	Gallium	Manganese	Strontium
Beryllium	Germanium	Natural graphite	Tantalum
Bismuth	Hafnium	Niobium	Titanium metal
Boron/borate	Helium	PGM	Tungsten
Cobalt	HREE	Phosphate rock	Vanadium
		Copper	Nickel

Note: Strategic minerals are highlight in bold. Heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) include ten heavy rare earths; light rare-earth elements (LREE) include five light rare earths. PGM: platinum-group metals.

Sources: (European Commission, 2025[8]); EC (2023[7]), Study on the Critical Raw Materials for the EU 2023, https://doi.org/10.2873/12230.

The European Union’s high dependency on external sources of mineral supply

The European Union is highly reliant on imported CRMs, making it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical risks. Worldwide, the production of energy transition minerals, such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, is significantly more concentrated than oil or natural gas (IEA, 2021[9]), with over three-quarters of global output for these materials coming from just four countries: Australia, Chile, China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For the EU mineral supply, China plays a particularly dominant role, providing the European Union with 11 out of the 34 CRMs, including 100% of the heavy rare‑earth elements, 97% of magnesium and 85% of light rare‑earth elements (Council of the European Union, 2024[10]).

Other examples of high dependency on raw materials from one single country, include boron (99% from Türkiye) and platinum (71% from South Africa) (EC, 2023[11]). Overall, the European Union is 100% reliant on imports of 14 critical raw materials, either at the extraction or processing stage, and over 80% on imports of 22 out of the 34 CRMs for EU (Carrara et al., 2023[12]). This dependency poses substantial market and political risks for the European Union with regards to attaining its industrial and climate goals, underscoring the need for a more diversified and self-reliant EU strategy to secure CRMs (IEA, 2021[9]).

Beyond strengthening supply chain security, enhancing domestic EU sourcing of minerals also ensures that mineral processing meets high environmental standards. Some minerals sourced from outside the union have a higher environmental footprint due to weaker environmental regulations in some producing countries, high reliance on fossil fuels for energy-intensive mining and greenhouse gas emissions from long-distance transportation (OIES, 2023[13]).

EU policy support to increase reliable mineral supply

The Critical Raw Materials Act

In 2023, the European Commission launched the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a common union framework to ensure access to a secure and sustainable supply of CRMs and to safeguard the European Union’s economic resilience and open strategic autonomy. The act outlines four concrete non‑binding objectives for the European Union to achieve by 2030:

• at least 10% of EU annual consumption of strategic minerals from domestic extraction, currently estimated at less than 2% (PRI Association, 2024[14]).

• at least 40% of EU annual consumption from domestic processing.

• at least 25% of EU annual consumption from recycling sources.

• no more than 65% of EU annual consumption from a single third country.

The CRMA is designed to help attain the goals of the Green Deal Industrial Plan, which aims to strengthen the EU industrial base, boost EU competitiveness and accelerate the transition to a green economy (European Parliament, 2024[15]) (Box 3.2).

As most of mining-related projects occur outside metropolitan regions, the CRMA would be also instrumental in improving social cohesion within and across member states. As in OECD member countries, most EU regions with potential or existing mining projects are rural regions, according to EU and OECD territorial calcification (Chapter 2). If well managed, mining regions can perceive a relative higher income than other rural regions. According to the OECD analysis on OECD mining regions, these regions levy on average 18% higher gross domestic product per capita than rural regions. Therefore, access to a reliable supply of minerals is instrumental for EU competitiveness.

Box 3.2. The European Critical Raw Materials Act and its link with the Green Deal Industrial Plan

With the aim to boost EU industrial competitiveness linked to the green transition, the Green Deal Industrial Plan focuses on creating resilient supply chains and fostering clean technologies, relying on four key pillars:

1. predictable and simplified regulatory framework to support green industries.

2. accelerated access to financing for clean energy and manufacturing projects.

3. skills enhancement for green and industrial transitions.

4. open trade collaboration and supply chain stability.

The EU Green Deal Industrial Plan, launched in February 2023, targets carbon neutrality by 2050, a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 1990 levels (as of 2023, the European Union has achieved a 37% reduction from 1990 levels) and a proposed 90% reduction by 2040. To support these objectives, the plan allocates EUR250 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, EUR372 billion through InvestEU and EUR40 billion from the Innovation Fund over the next decade. Key targets also include creating 800 000 jobs in the battery industry between 2022 and 2025 and training 100 000 workers within 3 years through net-zero industry academies (European Commission, 2023[16]).

The CRMA is a key component of achieving Green Deal Industrial Plan objectives. Through strengthening production, processing, streamlining permitting processes for CRM projects, recycling strategic raw materials within Europe and reducing dependence on imports, the CRMA supports the rapid development and production of clean energy technologies to bolster the EU plan, its energy sovereignty and resilience to external shocks (European Commission, 2023[16]).

However, there are challenges to achieving these goals, particularly in balancing environmental concerns with the need for new mining projects. Raw material extraction can strain ecosystems, disrupt communities and contribute to emissions. This tension underscores the importance of the CRMA’s emphasis on sustainability, recycling and minimising reliance on primary mining as well as its role in promoting innovation to reduce environmental and social impacts (European Commission, 2023[7]).

Sources: EC (2023[16]), A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023DC0062; EC (2024[17]), Critical Raw Materials Act, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1252&qid=1720020986785.

To achieve these objectives, the CRMA identifies and provides concrete support through strategic projects, which would benefit from a faster permitting process and easier access to financing. These projects are given preferential access to funding from EU programmes and financial institutions. Whether extraction, processing or circular-economy-related projects, they are required to meet strict environmental standards and work with local communities to ensure sustainability. The European Commission would publish annual calls for proposals, to which companies or consortia apply. A CRMA board has the task to assess projects and member countries to approve them.

In enhancing the value chain of EU raw materials, strategic projects should also contribute to improved regional and local development, fostering greater social acceptability and engagement of regional SMEs in the value chain. Additionally, it has been noted that member states and regional and local authorities should implement measures to ensure the timely and effective execution of these projects.

The CRMA also promotes circular economy practices and high environmental standards. It emphasises recycling and responsible sourcing to reduce waste and increase resource efficiency and establishes high environmental standards for CRM sourcing and processing, not least: strict emissions control for air, water and soil pollution from mining and processing activities; requirements for sustainable and responsible mining practices, including minimising ecological impacts and promoting biodiversity conservation; emphasis on circular economy principles, with targets for recycling CRMs; and promotion of resource efficiency and a sustainable consumption pattern (EC, 2024[17]).

Another relevant provision of the CRMA is the mandate for countries to streamline permitting processes for mining projects. The act aims to reduce the EU mining permitting process to less than 3 years, from an average of 10-15 years today. Given that this is an act approved by the European Parliament, its implementation is mandatory for member countries. Strategic mining project permits would need to be issued within 27 months, while processing facilities would obtain them within 15 months. Some member states have expressed concerns about the feasibility of such speedy permitting, requesting the option to override these strict time frames.

Other EU relevant policies for the governance of mining

The European Union has implemented a range of policies aimed at governing mining practices and promoting sustainable resource management, particularly concerning CRMs. These policies focus on enhancing resource efficiency, ensuring transparency and fostering innovation within the raw materials sector (Table 3.3).

Table 3.3. EU policies and initiatives for a reliable and responsible mineral supply

Policy	Type	Goal	Instruments and funding
Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)	International co‑operation, strategy projects	The plan aims to partner with 14 countries and the European Union to boost public and private investment in responsible critical mineral supply chains, addressing rising demand. Key objectives include enhanced information sharing, increased investment in secure supply chains and advancement of recycling technologies.	In September 2024, the MSP Finance Network was launched to strengthen co‑operation among the development finance institutions and export credit agencies of MSP partners.
European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA)	Environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards	The ERMA is part of the EU action plan on CRM, aims to reduce dependency on third countries, diversify supply sources, enhance resource efficiency and circularity, and promote responsible sourcing through partnerships, innovation, responsible sourcing and removing trade barriers.	The ERMA has EUR1.7 billion funded through EU subsidies and sales quotas as well as at member-state level.
Horizon Europe strategic plan	Research and innovation support	Horizon Europe is the EU flagship research and innovation funding programme, fostering collaboration to advance research, support EU policies and address global challenges.	Horizon Europe has EUR 93.5 billion in funding for 2021-27.
REPowerEU plan	Strategic projects	Aims to reduce EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean energy. Objectives include, diversifying energy supplies, increasing renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency and developing clean energy technologies.	Funding of EUR 297 billion from a combination of grants and loans, and an additional EUR45 billion from the European Investment Bank.
EU clusters	Research and innovation support	Collaborative groups working together to develop specialised expertise and sustainable mining practices, enhance EU competitiveness and support the implementation of the CRMA and Green Deal Industrial Plan.	InvestEU, Horizon Europe, Euroclusters and the European Investment Bank all contribute funding.
EU Batteries Regulation (2023/1542)	Regulation	Promote a circular economy for batteries while reducing their environmental and social impacts throughout their lifecycle. It outlines targets for end-of-life management by 2025, material recovery by 2027 and minimum recycled content by 2031.	Key provisions include carbon footprint labelling, hazardous substance restrictions, supply chain due diligence, mandatory recycling targets, a “battery passport” for large batteries and requirements for portable battery removability.

Sources: EC (2020[18]), European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/industry/industrial-alliances/european-raw-materials-alliance_en; EC (2021[19]), Horizon Europe, https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en.

These policies demonstrate a comprehensive and interconnected approach to securing CRMs and advancing the EU green transition. Through international co‑operation under the Minerals Security Partnership and initiatives like the European Raw Materials Alliance, the European Union seeks to strengthen supply chains and reduce dependencies. Meanwhile, Horizon Europe provides crucial research and innovation funding to support sustainable technologies, and the REPowerEU plan aligns with these goals by diversifying energy sources and accelerating the transition to clean energy (EC, 2022[20]).

The aim of the EU Sustainable Batteries Regulation (2023/1542) to reduce reliance on imported raw materials and build a sustainable battery economy also depends on effective implementation and industry compliance and tribality of raw materials, which is instrumental to improving competitiveness of EU mining projects, whose process is relatively greener than other countries but faces higher costs in human resources and environmental restrictions.

The role of EU national and subnational governments in governing mining projects

Mining is a unique industrial sector where activity must take place in specific geographical locations, shaping development for those living in or close to deposits. While the production of CRMs is important for strategic value chains and technological advancements, there are significant local-level considerations in actualising these goals (Guzik et al., 2021[21]).

The EU CRMA creates the responsibility of members to act on its implementation. In many EU countries, national governments set the national goals and permitting parameters related to activities in the mining sector and subnational governments are responsible for co‑ordinating their efforts in line with national policies and regulations, the actions of mining companies and the priorities of local communities.

The role of national governments in promoting efficient and sustainable mining

National governments play a crucial role in enabling the European Union to obtain an autonomous supply of critical minerals through: i) co‑ordinating and funding research on national deposits to attract investment in exploration and operation; ii) aligning mining activities with national and regional development goals; iii) creating a streamlined permitting and regulatory framework for mining projects; and iv) supporting enabling within-region factors such as labour and skills, innovation and infrastructure to improve local conditions and increase competitiveness.

National governments can play a significant role in providing sufficient resources for national geological institutes to conduct research on deposits and effectively communicate these findings to prospective mining companies. The Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration has an autonomous service unit that conducts geological research to locate deposits among other activities. The unit receives national and EU funding and has successfully mapped a significant number of deposits across Greece with an interactive mapping tool that can be utilised to attract investment (HSGME, 2024[22]).

Through a long-term national mining policy, governments can set strategic goals for the sector and align them with national and regional development interests. Many EU countries with mining industries have created or are currently implementing a nationwide mining strategy. Across the five countries of this study, all have or are working towards a national mining strategy, yet the stages of its implementation and its support to regional mining ecosystems vary among them (Table 3.4). The need to implement the CRMA has been an important catalyst for the updating of some of these national plans. Nevertheless, countries like Greece and Sweden still rely on plans more than a decade old. Up‑to‑date national plans with clearly defined roles for subnational governments and stakeholders are relevant to ensure efficient deployment of mining projects that align with regional development needs and meet high environmental standards.

Creating a streamlined permitting and regulatory framework for mining increases the attractiveness of EU mining jurisdictions for investment. National governments have an opportunity to improve these conditions through adequately resourcing permitting bodies and clarifying the process to prospective developers. The permitting process, its challenges and best practices will be further discussed in Chapter 5.

National government can also help enable regional conditions for efficient, sustainable and locally beneficial mining activities through prioritisation and funding. To meet the aims of the EU CRMA and attract mining investments, regions must contain the enabling conditions necessary to support efficient mining projects. This includes labour and skills, innovation and infrastructure. These conditions also help to ensure mining projects meet other important expectations such as environmental sustainability and benefits to communities such as employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Greater analysis of these enabling factors is outlined in the section below.

Table 3.4. EU countries and national mining policies (selection)

Country	Policy name	Implications for regional mining ecosystem
Finland	Finland’s Mineral Strategy (2025, under development)	The strategy focuses on aligning the Finnish mineral sector with EU policy around three strategic objectives: i) promoting domestic growth and prosperity; ii) finding solutions to global mineral chain challenges; and iii) mitigating environmental impact. While within these priorities there are positive impacts for local communities, such as skills development or improved environmental impact from mining, the strategy does not directly outline a framework to ensure new and existing mining projects positively align with regional priorities and deliver local benefits to communities.
Greece	National Policy for the Strategic Planning and Exploration of Mineral Resources (2012)	The mining strategy was developed in 2012 but has not been formally implemented and is widely understood to be stuck in “draft mode”. This has a significant impact on public perception of mining as currently one of the largest issues is unrehabilitated old mines (since 1980s), with no overarching strategy or monitoring system to address this. The mining strategy is currently under review and is expected to be updated by 2025.
Portugal	Proposal of Action Plan to implement the Critical Raw Materials Act (2024)	In 2024, the government established a working group among three ministries (of the Economy, of Social Cohesion and of the Environment) to integrate the EU CRMA into Portuguese legislation and publish an action plan. The group involved regional authorities and included specific actions enabling subnational governments to include minerals information in land-use plans. Dedicated measures create international partnerships and promote circular economy. Another measure has created a committee with civil society participation to govern and co‑ordinate mineral-related activities alongside a communication strategy.
Spain	Road Map for Sustainable Management of Mineral Raw Materials (2021)	In relation to local community development, the strategy includes a measure on land-use planning to ensure mineral resource projects are compatible with other land uses as well as revising the legal framework for the environmental restoration of mining operations. Aside from this, specific provisions outlining a framework that ensures local benefits from mining projects (employment, royalties, etc) are lacking. While some mining regions within Spain, such as Andalusia, have their own regional mining strategies that outline frameworks for ensuring local benefits from projects, these goals will not fully be met without clear development of these expectations from companies and governments in the national strategy.
Sweden	Swedish’s Minerals Strategy (2013)	The strategy includes recommendations to promote societal development and regional growth focusing on support for planning in municipalities for major investments and projects and increasing housing production. There is however a lack of specific provisions to ensure a participatory process that aligns mining activities with regional development priorities. The strategy does not specifically outline proposed benefits for mining municipalities such as royalties or a framework for developing impact-benefit agreements. It also does not directly provide advice for managing land-use conflicts. The strategy could benefit from more targeted recommendations and support for ensuring mining projects support local SMEs and contractors, service development and environmental concerns.

The role of subnational governments and importance of regional conditions in mining development

Regions play a pivotal role in creating the conditions necessary to achieve the goals set out by the CRMA. The support of regions can be extended across three key areas: i) creating an enabling environment for competitive and sustainable mining; ii) ensuring mining delivers tangible value to local communities; and iii) supporting transparent and efficient permitting processes with community participation.

Creating an enabling environment for competitive and sustainable mining:

Regional authorities are important actors in supporting an enabling environment for efficient and responsible mining activities given their proximity to labour markets, local entrepreneurs and relevant infrastructure. In supporting an improved labour and skills market for the mining industry, regions can invest in skills development programmes for schools and universities that align with evolving demands of the sector (e.g. digitalisation, automation and sustainability). They can also facilitate workshops and programmes to improve the perception of the mining sector and increase attractiveness for young talent (Lööw et al., 2018[23]).

Regions can also support an innovative business environment for local entrepreneurs linked to the mining sector. Through business centres and innovation hubs, regions can disseminate relevant information to entrepreneurs regarding available funding (e.g. EU Innovation Fund) as well as support in applying for these mechanisms (Draghi, 2024[24]). These centres can also link local SMEs to innovation ecosystems in capitals including universities and larger companies.

Regions can facilitate improved infrastructure to support the mining sector and decrease burden on other sectors and local communities through strategic investments and partnerships, and land-use planning. Many mining regions in the European Union face similar infrastructure challenges in supporting the mining sector, including isolation and reliance on fossil fuels, and shared infrastructure. Through investments and partnerships with larger mining companies, regions can build necessary infrastructure to support the sector, reducing costs and burdens on other users. Through regional land-use plans, the mobility of mining workers can be improved as well as linkages of sites to urban centres (Lechner et al., 2017[25]).

Strengthening the relationship between mining and local communities through improved benefits and communication

The close proximity of regional authorities to local stakeholders makes them important actors in improving mining-related value for local communities and facilitating communication about projects. Improving social perception of mining among local residents requires a relationship between companies and regions that ensures long-term benefits from projects such as employment, revenue sharing and environmental protection measures. Regions can facilitate this process, ensuring companies engage in consultation with local communities and develop agreements that support regional development priorities (Kotilainen, Peltonen and Reinikainen, 2022[26]).

Regions also play a significant role in facilitating communication about mining projects to local residents. Through workshops and educational programmes, regions can keep local communities informed and address concerns of misinformation regarding new mining projects. This helps to strengthen social acceptance and build local actors’ trust in decision makers and mining companies (Lesser, 2021[27]).

Supporting transparent and efficient permitting processes with community participation

Subnational governments have an important role in mine permitting processes, which directly impacts the attractiveness of the EU mining sector. Without sufficient resources, regional permitting authorities can face delays in completing assessments. This is especially relevant in the mandatory establishment of the “one‑stop shop” under the EU CRMA (Anderson and Diamantopoulou, 2024[28]). Further, without clear land-use plans and consultation processes, projects face further delays due to confusion and community resistance (Worlanyo and Jiangfeng, 2021[29]).

Through investing in capacity building of regional permitting offices and establishing clear and coherent land-use plans and consultation processes, regions can reduce project delays and uncertainty for mining companies (Endl, Gottenhuber and Gugerell, 2023[30]). To secure the resources necessary for these adjustments, regions can collaborate with universities, national geological institutes and mining companies, developing partnerships that improve capacity and utilise expert knowledge. Community members can also be included in the permitting process at the regional level through involvement in environmental monitoring and assessment (Prno, Pickard and Kaiyogana, 2021[31]).

Strengthening the regional mining ecosystems in the European Union: Key enabling factors

This section explores the main actions to improve enabling conditions at the regional level to support competitive and sustainable mining projects that offer a positive legacy to hosting communities. Linked to the main roles of subnational authorities as previously discussed, this section will set the main priorities to enhance regional mining ecosystems across five areas:

• Creating a subnational policy framework to link mining with regional priorities.

• Supporting local labour markets to ensure workforce mining benefits and good skills matching for projects.

• Promoting regional innovation networks to involve local businesses in mining value chains and reduce environmental impacts.

• Ensuring supportive energy and transport infrastructure to make the most of mining and capitalise on the green transition in this sector.

Subnational policy framework to link mining to regional priorities

While many policies for mining are decided nationally, subnational governments and actors are the best placed to identify the needs of the community, its assets and the mechanisms to attain positive outcomes from mining projects. Subnational policy frameworks for mining are important to guide regional policy support, canalise financing and resources, align community visions and promote synergies across sectors.

Subnational governments and authorities in Finland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have the capacity to define the vision and development trajectory of the region through strategic plans and their implementation by facilitating networks, providing services and canalising financing.

Defining the role of mining in regional development is relevant to identifying potential benefits and synergies with local economies and the actions to mitigate environmental and social impacts. A strategic policy vision in mining is also instrumental to attract investments and capitalise on national or European funding support.

The analysed EU mining regions have different approaches to include mining in their set of regional policies (Table 3.5). Some regions like Andalusia, Spain, and Kainuu, Finland, have a dedicated regional mining strategy with a broader view of the sector and its role in the development of the region, as well as strategic actions to support the different areas of the mining value chain in the territory. Others like Central Ostrobothnia, Lapland and North Karelia in Finland and Alentejo and Centro in Portugal have prioritised specific areas of the mining value chain for their specialisation strategy. For example, North Karelia focuses mainly on promoting research and development (R&D) and testing on minerals, rather than upstream activities for mining. Regions like Central Greece, Örebro in Sweden and Oulu in Finland do not have a specific strategic focus on mining in their development plans; instead the policy approach towards the sector is done through other connected activities such as innovation, technological development or education.

Table 3.5. Regional policy approach to mining

Country	Region	Place of mining in regional policy	Mining-related goals
Finland	Central Ostrobothnia	Regional Strategy for Extractive Industries 2019-2025	Sustainably grows the extractive cluster in Central Ostrobothnia by linking research, development and innovation. It also focuses on developing new mining-related products and addressing workforce availability.
	Lapland	Regional Strategic Planning Programme, Lapland Agreement 2022-2025	Develops the Lapland Mining Hub project, to increase R&D activities based on the needs of companies, accelerate the development of the mining ecosystem and promote national and international co‑operation between mining regions.
	Kainuu	Regional Strategy for Extractive Industries 2019-2025	Implements the mining-related objectives out of the Kainuu Regional Programme. It focuses on improving linkages of mining with regional development and emerged from a steering group for the extractive industries founded in 2019.
	North Karelia	North Karelia’s Regional Strategic Programme (POKAT) 2022-25	Includes six goals for the mining and mineral industry, mostly focusing on the processing and value-added of minerals, without referring to new mining projects. Relevant goals include supporting responsible mining industrial investments, promoting clean solutions in the mining industry and increasing processing in the mining value chains.
	Oulu	No clear/direct mention in the regional development strategy or the smart specialisation strategy.
Portugal	Alentejo	Strategic Vision for Alentejo 2030 (Visão Estratégica para a Região Alentejo 2030)	Emphasises integrating mining into regional development, supporting sustainable practices and improving infrastructure and community engagement. Along with the smart specialisation strategy, identifies mining as a key industrial pillar.
	Centro	Centro Smart Specialisation Strategy (Centro S3)	Considers critical raw materials as part of a differentiating domain of the region and identifies them in two of the four innovation platforms. The innovation platform “Valuing endogenous natural resources” aims to promote innovation in the use, conservation and recovery of critical raw materials. The “Developing sustainable industrial solutions” platform focuses on the sustainable and efficient use of critical raw materials-e.g. through the valorisation of byproducts.
Greece	Central Greece	No clear/direct mention in the regional development strategy or the smart specialisation strategy.
Spain	Andalusia	Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia (2030)	Guided by four axes of action: i) strengthening of administrative capacities; ii) knowledge and technology development; iii) promotion of sustainable activities; iv) social and economic promotion of the activity and the territory.
Sweden	Örebro	No clear/direct mention in the regional development strategy or the smart specialisation strategy.

Likewise, all regions have included – directly or indirectly – the support to mining ecosystem in the region’s smart specialisation strategy. Seven out of the ten regions (Alentejo, Andalusia, Central Ostrobothnia, Centro, Kainuu, Lapland, North Karelia) have referred to mining as one of the pillars of their smart specialisation strategy. Other regions like Centro, Örebro and Oulu approach mining through the support of innovation and circularity in regional business, some working with mining-related industries.

Despite the focus on mining in different policy documents across the regions, the mining-development link is still not clearly defined in some regions. Some regional authorities, such as Central Greece, Centro, North Karelia and Örebro, do not promote mining as a standalone strategy in their regional policy and do not refer to the potential of new mining projects.

While all of the regions have mineral potential and exploration projects going on, the elusive positions towards mining in regional strategies could translate into missed opportunities to benefit locally from such projects and help manage their externalities. Decisions to avoid putting mining up front in regional strategies are often explained by the need to balance political positions and community concerns towards new mines. In regions where regional authorities are elected by municipalities, opposition to mining, even from a reduced number of municipalities (like in Centro and North Karelia), can make it politically challenging for regional authorities to reach common views on mines within the regional strategy. In this context, some regions have linked mining to development by focusing on supporting services, technological or innovation projects or education facilities to attend the national and global value chain.

Smart specialisation strategies can also be further leveraged to highlight regional competitiveness in the mineral value chain and link SMEs with the expertise and dedicated funds to provide industrial services across various stages of the value and supply chains.

Priority actions to enhance regional policy for mining

Mining is more than extraction of minerals, with associated service, provider, processing, research and transport activities that create multiple sources of employment and income locally. However, socially, associating mining solely with extraction persists, leaving out many of the upstream and downstream activities connected to the sector. Supporting policies to leverage mining value chain opportunities are instrumental to unlocking the potential development role of the sector.

Given that mineral projects in regions are allocated nationally and policy support is now given from the European Union, regions with mining potential and mining activities or know-how would benefit from setting clear policy views and strategies to make the most of the sector. Main priorities identified across policy frameworks in the ten EU regions, include the following points.

Promoting subnational mining plans

Regional mining strategies can provide better indication of the role of mineral-related activities in the local economy. These strategies help to agree on common views across the population of the role of mining, better communicate the potential benefits and define tools to mitigate negative effects. The Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia 2030 is a leading practice in setting long-term goals for the sector in the local economy and define actions to increase local value-added and employment linked to this value chain.

Box 3.3. The Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia 2030

The Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia 2030 sets a benchmark for long-term planning by aligning economic, social and environmental goals. It focuses on modernising the mining sector, promoting the region’s potential and integrating sustainable practices while preserving its mining heritage. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, the strategy ensures mining becomes a driver of sustainable growth and development.

A key pillar of the strategy is enhancing local value-added by supporting the entire mining value chain, from mineral extraction to processing and service innovation. To maximise economic benefits for the region, the strategy is committed to processing minerals locally, particularly from the Iberian Pyrite Belt. It also aims to create 10 000 direct and 30 000 indirect jobs while offering specialised training programmes to develop skills for sustainable and innovative mining.

By integrating environmental preservation, promoting sustainable practices and addressing social concerns, the strategy mitigates mining’s potential negative impacts. With EUR 3.2 billion in annual business opportunities and global demand for sustainable materials, Andalusia is positioning itself as a leader in responsible mining and regional development.

Source: OECD (2021[32]), Mining Regions and Cities Case Study, Andalusia, Spain, https://doi.org/10.1787/47062327-en.

Mining plans at the municipal level can also be instrumental tools to co‑ordinate the impacts of the sector locally. Especially in municipalities with multiple mines or active mining exploration, these plans can clarify mining activities, lifespans and indirect economic and social benefits for the local community. They can provide visibility to local companies working on the sector and outline new opportunities for local procurement. They can be especially instrumental in setting clear expectations of new companies arriving to the area and communicating about exploration activities. The mining plan of Sodankylä, Finland, is a good guide in this matter.

Box 3.4. The municipal mining plan in Sodankylä

Sodankylä is a municipality located in Lapland, North Finland, and home to one of Finland’s biggest metal mines, Boliden Kevitsa. The mining industry is the biggest private sector employer in the area. There are numerous ongoing exploration activities in Sodankylä, with more than dozen international companies conducting exploration activities.

In 2018, the municipality developed a mining programme to express the municipality’s goals and principles related to mining and support the community in achieving these goals. The mining programme and its principles are the foundation for the municipality’s planning and decision making related to mining and co‑operation with the mining industry. The plan has 11 objectives set around 3 pillars: social sustainability, ecological sustainability and economical sustainability. Concrete actions include supporting new inhabitants settling in Sodankylä, actively following up environmental impact reports delivered by mining industry and authorities, and helping local entrepreneurs to get involved in mining industry value chains.

Source: (Sodankylä Municipality, 2023[33]) (Nordregio, 2022[34])

Improving synergies with other economic sectors

There is scope in some regions to create further synergies across economic sectors to increase local value from mining. The remoteness of some mining operations to urban centres creates a physical barrier to establishing synergies across local industries and mining itself, creating their own ecosystem of suppliers and innovation processes. Furthermore, some regions with active industrial ecosystems and mining such as Central Greece have scope to set clearer strategies to promote linkages among manufacturing sectors and mining, based on specific projects. Likewise, other regions have opportunities to link the sector with other economic activities largely present in rural areas, such as tourism and traditional agriculture.

In regions where mineral value chains are not emphasised in smart specialisation strategy priorities, innovation and resource efficiency may provide a solid foundation to showcase the potential of supporting industries in raw materials activities, such as the industrial service sector.

In sum

Regions can enhance regional governance and policy framework to better link current and potential mineral-related activities with regional well-being by:

• Better integrating the role of mining in regional development strategies by:

  • Establishing a vision and goals for mining within the regional development strategy and smart specialisation strategies, with a clear role of the sector in areas such as local job creation, SME support and protection of local sites and natural assets. The community should be involved in defining goals for mining.

  • Developing or updating regional mineral-related strategies with a long-term timeline and intermediate outputs.

  • Adding measurable actions in smart specialisation strategies to support the regional mining ecosystem and equip SMEs to participate in the raw material value chain.

• Leveraging mining companies’ ESG programmes for long-term local development by:

  • Establishing partnerships or benefit‑sharing agreements with mining companies focused on addressing the main priorities in the community, whether access to services, housing, skills or local value-added.

  • Creating or adapting responsible business guidelines at the regional level for mining and industrial companies, with special focus on those companies exploring mining or other projects.

  • Mapping the current ESG programmes in the region to link them to regional development plans and improve their long-term impact.

Labour supply and skills

Regional employment and skills strategies must evolve to support the demands of modern mining, which increasingly integrates advanced technologies and environmental sustainability as the sector adapts to the green and digital transition. This leads to significant opportunities for regional employment, creating jobs within mining and across related sectors and services.

However, the increasing adoption of advanced technologies, such as digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence, and the need for new roles that address sustainability, is reshaping skills requirements. These requirements are now complex and rapidly evolving, spanning traditional technical roles to emerging digitalisation, automation and environmental management needs.

While innovation technology in the mining sector can help address labour shortages in regions with demographic decline, automated technology and unmanned equipment could also reduce employment opportunities for lower-skilled workers, especially in remote areas. The deployment and operation of new technology and advanced equipment and machinery requires highly specialised skills and a trained labour force, which is often lacking in remote or new mining regions (Endl et al., 2021[35]).

Technical change does not necessarily imply net job losses, with policy able to help communities benefit from this transition, where some jobs might be lost, while others redefined or newly created. For instance, in mature mining countries such as Australia, it is estimated that 40 000 frontline mining jobs such as truck drivers and excavator operators will be lost by 2030 to new automated technologies, although technology will also account for the creation of 69 000 new jobs in the supply chain and another 53 000 in the wider economy (Australian Mine Safety Journal, 2019[36]). The way mining is planned and co‑ordinated with local workforce characteristics will be essential to ensure communities benefit from technological change.

Many regions already face persistent shortages in these areas, compounded by the challenge of aligning education and training systems and attracting and retaining diverse talent to build workforce capacity. This section discusses the employment and skills policies that regions can implement to support modern mining through flexible skills policy and targeted efforts to address sectoral and regional attractiveness issues, enabling them to capitalise on opportunities and overcome challenges.

Unlocking opportunities and addressing challenges in workforce development

Strong educational systems, attractive employment conditions and demographics, the industrial structure and efforts to improve the mining sector’s image are significant enabling factors for strengthening local workforces.

• Educational and research ecosystems are at the forefront of efforts to meet the labour demands of modern mining. In particular, regions with robust educational institutions, effective collaborations between education and industry, comprehensive vocational training systems and high innovation and R&D capacity are well-positioned. For example, regions can develop specialised programmes aligned with industry needs, like the University of Oulu’s Mining School and Bergsskolan (Filipstad, Sweden). Close collaboration with the mining industry can increase their efficacy, as in Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Lapland and North Karelia in Finland and Alentejo and Centro in Portugal, where educational institutions co-develop curricula or training programmes with mining companies.

• Regions can leverage the attractive employment conditions in mining and demographics to encourage diversity and retain talent. Competitive wages, clear career progression pathways and comprehensive benefits make mining an attractive industry for workers. Moreover, areas with a younger workforce, such as in Andalusia, Central Greece and Centro, and a historical connection to mining can build on these demographics and heritage to foster community support and engagement.

• Capitalising on economic and industrial synergies also presents opportunities. For example, in Central Greece, know-how from a strong manufacturing sector can also serve the emerging mining industry, or as in the diversified economy of Centro and the high-technology business ecosystem in North Karelia and Oulu.

• Lastly, efforts to improve the mining sector’s image and attract and support diverse talent can be important for long-term success. Regions can build upon programmes that support new businesses and workers, such as in Örebro, and outreach programmes, educational campaigns and career fairs that inform about modern mining practices and opportunities, as in Alentejo and Centro or Lapland, especially through renowned universities that can attract international talent.

Despite these opportunities, common challenges to developing and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce that can adapt to the changing demands of mining as it embraces automation and digitalisation persist:

• A prominent obstacle from skill shortages. These shortages are reported by all regions, through high vacancy rates for example, and apply to both low-skilled and high-skilled occupations, particularly in skills and occupations critical for the green and digital transition, such as automation, environmental management and circular economy practices. For example, in Andalusia and Centro, the number of online vacancies per employed person in the mining sector is almost two times higher than the regional average across all industries, in 2021 and 2022 respectively. These shortages will only aggravate as the sector embraces automation and digital solutions, which require a skilled and flexible workforce.

• Mismatch between educational supply and industry demand and concertation of education supply far from municipalities interested in mining. For example, in Alentejo, Andalusia, Central Greece or Centro, available training programmes do not always align with industry needs or are not widely known. For example, in Andalusia, the catalogue of courses offers little training on digital, analytical and management skills and extractive industries have one of the lowest representations in the vocational training system. Training supply in some regions (Andalusia, Central Greece) is concentrated in main regional cities, which makes sense for economies of scale. However, in these municipalities people might have less interest in mining, while limiting training accessibility to interested people who live in municipalities with mining culture or expecting new projects.

• Bureaucratic hurdles in educational pathways, and cultural barriers. In Central Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, complicated transitions from vocational to university education also limit the supply of experienced mining professionals. Language barriers to study or work in mining operations, for example in Finland, are barriers to integrate foreign workers in the sector or involve them in education, particularly in vocational training whose classes are mostly in national language.

• The attractiveness of the sector still another significant hurdle. Negative perceptions of mining, along with competition from other industries in small labour markets – for example, the tourism sector in Alentejo, Centro and Lapland – deter potential workers from entering the mining sector.

• Rural characteristics and attractiveness of many mining municipalities impeding the ability of the sector to attract and retain a skilled workforce. EU Mining communities tend to face greater ageing population, greater cost to delivery services (e.g. childcare) and infrastructure as well as lack of affordable housing (OECD, 2023[37]). Many of these challenges are linked to the rural remote characteristics of these communities, including small internal markets and low-density population, which reduce economies of scale for public funding and incentives for private sector to support investments for attractiveness.

Priority actions to enhance regional employment and skills

Strategic planning and policy frameworks are at the heart of efforts to integrate the mining industry into regional workforce development strategies. These plans often emphasise sustainability, innovation and economic growth to align the mining sector with broader regional objectives. For example, the Regional Mining Strategy of Andalusia 2030 focuses on strengthening educational structures and promoting professional qualifications, and the Strategic Vision for Alentejo 2030 outlines long-term goals for economic, social and environmental development and emphasises the role of mining in promoting sustainability and improving infrastructure and community engagement.

Enhancing the opportunities for local workers to benefit from mineral-related projects and meeting industry skill needs requires a combination of actions at the regional level to address skill gaps, mismatch between labour supply and demand and ease workers’ attraction and retention.

Reinforcing collaboration to address skill gaps

The reported shortage of skilled workers, particularly in high-demand roles in geology, engineering and environmental management, is a pervasive challenge across regions, often stemming from a lack of specialised programmes. In addition to skill shortages, there can be skill mismatches and misalignment between educational offerings and evolving industry needs as it embraces automation and digitalisation, which can be a particular barrier for new mining operations. For instance, in Central Greece, the absence of mining-related educational programmes hinders the development of the sector. Similarly, Kainuu lacks a clear, institutionalised pathway for vocational students to access university programmes, limiting the progression of these potential mining professionals.

Efforts to address these shortcomings are complicated by bureaucratic hurdles, such as administrative barriers to developing educational pathways and lack of sustained collaboration among actors with different priorities and capacities. Educational institutions may lack the resources or expertise to rapidly update curricula to match industry advancements in automation and digitalisation. In addition, vocational programmes are sometimes located in the main population centres, making them difficult to access for interested individuals often living in remote mining communities.

Addressing skill gaps requires stronger and deliberate collaboration between institutions and the mining industry to develop specialised educational programmes, align curricula with current and future industry needs and provide practical training opportunities closer to mining regions. For instance, Sweden’s Örebro, in co‑ordination with neighbouring regions Dalarna and Västmanland, published a joint letter outlining their experience as mining regions and ways to improve regional economic development specifically on the topic of required skills and competencies, calling for greater inter-regional collaboration in support of the mining sector. In the Portuguese region of Centro, the municipality of Pordo de Mós partnered with educational institutions and industry to address the challenges of managing limestone quarries located in protected natural areas. This effort led to the establishment of a research centre, stone exhibitions and training programmes for local youth. These collaborations aim to facilitate knowledge sharing, innovation and the alignment of skills development with industry needs.

Specialised educational programmes are also important to tailor education to modern industrial needs. Similar regional programmes include the University of Oulu’s newly-created Master’s Degree in Sustainable Mining, Centro’s Polytechnic of Leiria Management and Advanced Technologies in Mineral Resources programme with tuition-free scholarships for top students funded by a mining company and Bergsskolan, a technical school specialised in geology and mining located in the municipality of Filipstad (Värmland, Sweden) (Box 3.5). Private companies can also play a considerable role in supporting such education programmes and aligning regional skills with the needs of the industry (Box 3.6).

Many of these initiatives are also able to increase international collaboration and knowledge exchange by leveraging funding from EU projects like Erasmus+ or ECOEMPOWER.1 Each of these programmes includes a strong focus on collaboration between educational institutions and industry, allowing practical training through apprenticeships with mining companies and upskilling programmes for mining employees.

Box 3.5. Bergsskolan: A hub for mining education and collaboration

A specialised technical school located in Filipstad, Värmland, Bergsskolan is playing a vital role in preparing the next generation of mining professionals. Despite welcoming 90 students annually – half of whom are enrolled in its mining track – the school operates below its full capacity of 160. Its student body is diverse in experience, with 60% of learners aged over 25 and 80% being male.

The school’s three-year programme emphasises practical, hands-on learning, offering students robust opportunities to gain industry experience through internships with local companies. Currently, about a quarter of its students are engaged in internships, which are integral to its curriculum. Bergsskolan also collaborates closely with mining firms to provide upskilling programmes tailored to evolving industry needs. This strong alignment with industry demands is reflected in the school’s high job‑placement rate for graduates.

Beyond technical education, Bergsskolan is committed to fostering greater diversity in mining. Through partnerships with local companies, it is actively working to address gender disparities by promoting structural changes and encouraging more women to pursue careers in mining.

However, despite its successes, Bergsskolan faces challenges. Its small administrative capacity limits its ability to access European or social funding, which could support and expand its efforts. Strengthening the school’s ability to secure such resources would enhance its potential to innovate and meet the region’s growing skills demands.

Supporting institutions like Bergsskolan is essential for fostering a dynamic and responsive mining ecosystem. Their ability to adapt curricula to meet emerging skill needs while working closely with industry partners makes them key players in the sustainable growth of the mining sector.

Source: (Bergsskolan, 2024[38])

Box 3.6. Technical Operator of Mining Installations course, Cuenca Minera, Spain

In 2024, the Fundación Atalaya, supported by Atalaya Mining, launched the fifth edition of its Technical Operator of Mining Installations course, coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce Business School. This free programme targets unemployed individuals residing in the Cuenca Minera region, offering specialised training in industrial and mining operations. The course comprises 300 hours of theoretical instruction and 200 hours of practical training in areas such as mechanics, electromechanics, maintenance and occupational safety. The initiative aims to enhance the employability of local residents and meet the specific workforce needs of mining companies in the area. The regional government could also play a greater role in this initiative by assisting with the communication of information on this programme to schools and local community members.

Source: SEIZ (2024[39]), “The registration period for the V Course of Mining Facilities Operator of the Atalaya Foundation is now open”, https://cadenaser.com/andalucia/2024/11/06/abierto-el-plazo-para-la-inscripcion-del-v-curso-de-operadora-de-instalaciones-mineras-de-la-fundacion-atalaya-radio-huelva/?utm.

Mapping the skill needs of current and potential resource projects to reduce mismatch of labour supply and demand

Collaboration is especially important in anticipation of new mining projects to map future skill needs. Regions are working to align vocational training with industry demands. Initiatives include developing specialised training programmes, promoting upskilling and encouraging collaboration between educational institutions and mining companies. For example, in Andalusia, the National Reform of the Vocational Training Programme aims to simplify qualification frameworks and encourage co‑operation between private companies and training centres to create learning opportunities tailored to industry needs. Regions in Finland like Central Ostrobothnia and Kainuu are experimenting with new initiatives, such as the Process Academy, a pilot project bringing together different local educational institutions and mining companies. It aimed to serve as a “one-stop shop” by mapping mining companies’ existing and future skills and training needs in co‑operation with companies and educational institutions, and by using a common platform to plan and implement training.

For example, the municipality of Kaustinen in Central Ostrobothnia partnered with the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius to map future skill needs arising from upcoming resource projects in sectors such as forestry and renewable energy. This collaboration aims to align educational offerings with future industry demands (Box 3.7).

Box 3.7. Mapping future skills: The Kasvun, Osaamisen ja Elinvoiman (KOE) project in Central Ostrobothnia

Launched in 2021 by Centria University of Applied Sciences, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius and the Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia (Kpedu), the KOE initiative is using skills foresight to advance workforce planning in Central Ostrobothnia. The project focuses on identifying future skill needs and aligning education and training with the evolving demands of industries like digitalisation, green transition and bioeconomy. It is funded by the region of Central Ostrobothnia through national “Funding for sustainable growth and vitality in regions” (AKKE).

The KOE employs skills mapping and foresight tools to anticipate workforce trends and guide curriculum development. Through collaboration with over 100 regional businesses, the initiative gathers insights into emerging technologies and labour needs, such that training programmes equip students and workers with relevant, in-demand skills.

By proactively addressing skill shortages and promoting continuous learning, the KOE strengthens the connection between education and industry, empowering both individuals and businesses to thrive in a rapidly changing economic landscape. This forward-thinking approach can be adapted to serve the needs of emerging mining activities in regions.

Source: (Centria, 2025[40])

Decentralised education supply and focused programmes

Furthermore, in Finnish and Swedish regions, the provision of vocational training is decentralised, meaning that vocational schools are managed and located in mining municipalities. Thus, vocational schools in mining regions can develop programmes focused on the needs of the mining industry and their location makes it convenient for potential workers located in mining municipalities to attend these institutions. This is in contrast to other regions, such as in Greece, Portugal and Spain, where mining-specific vocational training is located in the capital region, away from mining activities. It is also possible to complement educational programmes with a skills-based approach whereby assessments are established through competency-based frameworks rather than a set programme or number of years attended, such as at Kainuu Vocational College in Finland.

These focused programmes can further allow for short professional courses that provide certificates or micro-credentials, which can be especially useful for current mining employees to upskill rapidly, avoiding lengthy master’s-level programmes. For example, the Polytechnic of Leiria offers a short professional programme leading to professional certification and Oulu Mining School at the University of Oulu emphasises its commitment to a lifelong learning framework for professionals, in addition to its comprehensive Master’s in Mineral Resources and Sustainable Mining, which covers the entire mining value chain from exploration to closure. This distinction between in-depth programmes and targeted short courses enables educational institutions to cater to a diverse range of learning needs within the mining sector.

Advancing gender equality and inclusion of underrepresented groups

Traditionally, the mining industry has an older, male-dominated workforce. This lack of diversity not only limits the pool of workers but also innovation and sectoral performance given the lack of differing perspectives and untapped potential. Thus, attracting more women and youth is a key priority for the sector, especially as many regions face ageing demographics which reinforce difficulties in recruitment. This challenge affects the mining industry in general and is also reflected in enrolment in mining studies. For example, in the mining programme at Kainuu’s main vocational school, only 10-20% of students are women and a vast majority are over 25 years old.

Notably, deep-rooted perceptions of mining as a masculine field discourage women from pursuing careers in the industry. This can be compounded by a workplace culture and conditions which may not be inclusive or accommodating of diverse needs. It can be difficult to break down such structural barriers and societal norms, given the lack of outreach programmes that can speak to the concerns of women and underrepresented groups and the lack of role models for these groups to emulate.

To increase the representation of young people and women in the mining sector, regions and educational institutions are launching tailored recruitment strategies that address structural barriers and showcase career opportunities in the sector. For example, Bergsskolan in Filipstad, Värmland, teamed up with local companies to actively address gender disparities by promoting structural changes and encouraging more women to pursue careers in mining. The University of Évora’s innovation projects in Alentejo specifically cater to younger workers by focusing on sustainable mining technology projects and Metlen Energy & Metals’ Engineers in Action programme in Central Greece offers inhouse training from mining companies to attract and skill young engineers from across the country (Box 3.8).

Box 3.8. Metlen Energy & Metals’ Engineers in Action: Supporting the next generation of mining engineers

Launched in 2014 by Metlen Energy & Metals in Greece, Engineers in Action is an innovative programme aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry for recently graduated engineers. This 12-month paid employment initiative offers recent graduates hands-on experience in real-world projects, helping them develop critical technical and professional skills while contributing to the company’s operations. In the most recent cycle, the programme is also open for the first time to recent graduates in Italy and the United Kingdom, in addition to Greece.

The programme works by selecting promising engineering graduates with less than two years of experience who are placed in various departments and mentored by senior professionals. Participants gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices and multidisciplinary teamwork, enhancing their employability and technical expertise.

During the first programme cycle (2015-16), 11 young engineers were selected and provided with 100 hours of training, alongside job rotations across key company functions. The programme invested over EUR 200 000 in salaries, accommodation and safety and training costs. Notably, 10 out of the 11 participants secured employment within 3 months of completing the programme.

By providing critical professional experience, skills development and networking opportunities, Engineers in Action aims to address youth unemployment while contributing to talent renewal in the industrial sector. This initiative highlights the importance of bridging education and industry needs, fostering a new generation of capable professionals.

Source: (Metlen Εnergy & Metals, 2024[41])

Making a career in mining more attractive by promoting opportunities and improving the sector’s image

The lack of promotion about career opportunities and the negative perception of the mining sector is a barrier to recruitment and retainment, especially for workers in technical occupations that can transfer to other industries or for regions with other dominant sectors, like tourism. The issue of attracting workers with transversal advanced skills in information and technology and automation will only increase as the sector modernises. For example, in one global survey, seven out of ten young people would not consider a career in mining and just under three-quarters of young people think mining does more harm than good to society (McKinsey & Company, 2023[42]; AUSMASA, 2024[43]).

Although mining has potential to be a key driver of regional development and offer attractive careers, these benefits are often not well communicated to communities and workers. This scepticism towards mining is especially a recruitment challenge in Andalusia, and Alentejo and Centro. In Central Greece, the mining sector is overshadowed by the tourism industry, which offers better working conditions. A lack of communication between mining companies and their advocates adds to the lack of awareness about modern practices and the industry’s role in the green transition among potential workers.

Thus, attracting and retaining a diverse workforce depends on efforts to promote mining and the opportunities it presents to workers. This can be achieved by highlighting the less seasonal type of job relative to other rural sectors such as tourism and agriculture, career progression, clear pathways for advancement and leadership roles. Mining careers offer a unique blend of technical and managerial growth, with many roles evolving alongside advancements in technology and sustainability. Furthermore, showcasing educational offerings, such as professional certifications and tailored training programmes, can underscore the sector’s commitment to equipping workers with the skills needed for long-term success.

Efforts to improve the image of the mining sector are also related to broader communication and sensitisation campaigns about mining (Chapter 5). For instance, the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration established a museum in Athens to educate young people on the history and significance of minerals in society. Also, in Lapland, Sodankylä’s mining programme includes actions to support new inhabitants settling in the municipality and actively communicates environmental impacts to build trust and transparency with regard to the community. The promotion of ESG programmes also needs to be improved to support the mining sector’s image and strengthen its appeal to talent.

Boosting regional appeal and accessibility to support workforce retention

The quality of life in a community is an important factor in attracting and retaining workers and families. Access to services, affordable housing and recreation can be determinant factors for people to move to a place, even balancing salary opportunities. As mentioned before, mining municipalities face similar attraction challenges to other rural areas, which is an issue, especially for the recruitment of skilled professionals, including workers with transversal skills in automation and digital solutions that are increasingly important as the sector modernises. These workers face high demand from various industries and this geographical isolation further limits the supply of these skilled professionals. This can be further complicated by language barriers if the local language is exclusively used in mining workplaces.

To address these challenges, regions have implemented strategies that support new residents, promote diversity and communicate the advantages of a mining career. For example, the municipality of Sotkamo, Kainuu, provided apartments to newly arrived mining workers, which facilitated the scale-up of operations for a major mining company; International House Joensuu in North Karelia offers comprehensive support to new foreign residents, helping workers and their families to integrate; similar work is carried out by Samarkand2015 in the municipality of Ludvika, Dalarna, and SmartMove by Business Region Örebro, both in Sweden, which can be adapted to support workers in the mining sector. The vocational school in Kainuu also offered a Finnish for Mining course to foreign students before it was cut due to budget considerations.

In sum

Regions can address employment and skill challenges to meet the mining sector’s evolving skill requirements by:

• Improving skills matching through better collaboration between educational institutions and mining companies, by:

  • Promoting regional meetings to update curricula based on the industry’s current and projected needs and facilitate practical training opportunities, internships and apprenticeships.

  • Mapping skill needs to establish or expand vocational training programmes and apprenticeships in mining to offer short-term applied courses, hands-on training and certifications focused on new technologies and environmental practices.

• Decentralising the educational supply so that training is closer to mining opportunities. This can also include the formal institutionalisation of pathways for vocational students into university (and vice versa) and skills-based assessments of competency, which can help to encourage reskilling of seasonal workers of other industries, such as agriculture and tourism.

• Improving outreach about the career opportunities and pathways in the mining sector to increase its appeal, especially among youth and women, by:

  • Showcasing high value-added roles and opportunities in emerging technologies, such as automation and environmental management, and emphasising the potential for career growth and contributions to sustainability.

  • Improving communication and outreach about modern mining. This can include awareness campaigns that address concerns about mining and that highlight the role of modern mining in the green transition and as a tool for regional development.

  • Promoting gender equality and inclusion of underrepresented groups by promoting inclusive programmes and developing recruitment and promotion strategies aimed at women and youth

• Supporting local workforce engagement and retention by enhancing regional attractiveness and accessibility by:

  • Providing support services for new workers and residents through housing assistance, integration programmes and personalised support.

  • Improving childcare supply to ease women’s integration in the mining industry.

Regional innovation ecosystems for sustainability and local value-added

Innovation within the mining sector is essential to advance sustainable practices, create greater efficiencies and increase local value-added in host communities. Technological innovations can reduce emissions, increase circular economy activities and provide positive benefits to communities such as increasing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities and improving safety for workers (Zhironkin and Szurgacz, 2021[44]). Innovation in mining can span across the different stages of the mining lifecycle including geophysics techniques for exploration and analysis, construction of mine sites, ore extraction and recovery, and the processing of minerals or closure processes, emphasising its potential role to create employment and business opportunities for local communities. In areas with skill shortages, innovation technology such as automated vehicles can also help to meet labour demand (Lacoursière, 2025[45]).

Over the past two decades, mining companies have been actively investing in the implementation of new digital technologies such as automated equipment and environmental modelling tools. Effectively modernising the mining sector, which often still operates with processes inherited from the 20^th century, involves a comprehensive technological transition to the integrated extraction of reserves and waste-free technologies and the replacement of obsolete equipment (Zhironkin and Szurgacz, 2021[44]). Integrated extraction of reserves refers to efficient, co‑ordinated and sustainable processes that maximise resource use while minimising environmental and social impacts. It is a systems approach within a resource region whereby specific challenges and opportunities are not viewed in isolation, but various processes, technologies and stakeholders work together (Lechner et al., 2017[46]).

There are a variety of stakeholders that contribute to the funding, development, implementation and monitoring of technological innovation in mining regions across the European Union, including the European Commission, regional and national governments, mining companies and universities. Importantly, funding for innovation projects typically comes from the European Commission partnered with national governments and universities, with other contributions in house from mining companies (Box 3.9). However, regional governments also play a significant role in facilitating an ecosystem that enables entrepreneurs and SMEs to innovate through connecting innovation actors and addressing key support and information gaps.

Box 3.9. Innovation technology funding for EU mining regions

Horizon Europe: Horizon Europe funds research and innovation projects in the 2021-27 period, including the MINE.THE.GAP programme that helps SMEs develop products, technologies and solutions for the raw materials energy sector, assisting in increasing industrial efficiency and creating local value-added (EU, 2023[47]).

EU Innovation Fund: The Innovation Fund provides financing for innovative net-zero and low‑carbon technology projects, which can include new mining technologies that reduce emissions and environmental impact. For instance, Mine Storage, a Swedish company specialising in developing grid-scale energy storages in underground mines was awarded EUR 22 million from the Innovation Fund to develop and deploy this technology (InnoEnergy, 2024[48]). Federal governments are often financial partners in these projects and mining companies are significant investors in innovation projects.

Private sector support: Mining companies also actively pursue innovation activities, primarily R&D alliances between inhouse departments and other companies or research institutions. However, the sector has a low research and development intensity at around 0.5% (as R&D expenditure/gross revenue), when compared with other sectors such as pharmaceuticals, with companies such as AstraZeneca at 13% (Penna, 2023[49]).

Sources: EU (2023[47]), “The EU-funded project MINE.THE.GAP brings together providers and businesses in the mining industry for its final event”, https://eismea.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-funded-project-minethegap-brings-together-providers-and-businesses-mining-industry-its-final-2023-12-20_en; InnoEnergy (2024[48]), “Mine storage awarded a €22 million grant from EU Innovation Fund”, https://www.innoenergy.com/news-events/mine-storage-awarded-e22-million-grant-from-eu-innovation-fund/; Penna, W. (2023[49]), “Research and development perspectives in the mining industry”, https://icsoba.org/proceedings/41st-conference-and-exhibition-icsoba-2023/?doc=20.

Despite key funding support from EU and national governments that can be utilised for innovation in mining regions, there are still numerous challenges facing the successful implementation of innovation at the regional level.

Key challenges in implementing innovation in the EU mining sector

Innovation funding for the mining sector lacks support for commercialisation and requires significant resources from applicants

Despite governments, universities and industry sharing the common goal of advancing innovation within the mining sector, there is often a gap between academic research and practical demand and application (Zandkarimi et al., 2020[50]). Currently, most of the knowledge generated by European researchers across all industries remains unexploited (Draghi, 2024[24]). There are a number of challenges in commercialising technologies in the European Union, including insufficient funding and support for technology transfer, intellectual property management challenges, and regulatory divergence.

As discussed earlier, funding for technology development in the European Union relies heavily on EU or national funds. While these programmes are essential in providing necessary financing for R&D, funding platforms such as Horizon Europe have been criticised for not providing support structures and follow‑up funding (beyond the initial research grant) for the transfer of technology from academic institutions to industry (Muscio, Simonelli and Vu, 2023[51]; Lages et al., 2023[52]). This creates a disconnect between innovation breakthroughs in research institutions and the technology needs of the mining sector. It also prevents local companies from diversifying and potentially entering new overseas markets, often keeping them economically reliant on one single mining operation. In this sense, innovation programmes led by R&D institutions at the regional level lack a business-oriented approach and could benefit from a clearer vision in connection with regional innovation needs.

Additionally, the multiplicity and short-term timeframes of national and EU funding programmes for innovation prevent continuity in developing and commercialising new innovation and circular economy technology. For a regional research institution or company looking to develop new technology, navigating a large variety of funding programmes, each with specific priorities and requirements, requires significant time and resources. Therefore, funding programmes often end up dictating the nature of innovation projects instead of supporting specific innovation needs in a region. Furthermore, in many EU regions, innovation funding is frequently updated or changed and has limited timeframes (two to four years). This can harm continuity in the innovation sector, often preventing a project from reaching the patent stage.

Regional innovation actors lack a unified vision for mining innovation and the appropriate platforms to harness collaboration and support

Many EU mining regions lack a unified vision across actors to advance innovation as it pertains to regional needs. Due to the structure of funding for innovation that supports standalone innovation projects, there is limited incentive to develop a comprehensive approach to innovation that ensures complementarity across universities and industry. This results in innovation occurring in silos, missing out on opportunities to collaborate across actors and municipalities (Endl et al., 2021[35]). A lack of unification can also limit the utilisation of available funding streams for innovation. Currently, many regions rely on the European Regional Development Fund when implementing smart specialisation strategies and fail to take advantage of other EU funding possibilities.

While the availability of innovation centres and clusters varies across EU mining regions, overall, there is an absence of platforms that adequately connect actors. Some regions, such as Andalusia and Central Greece, lack spaces for universities and companies to access innovation support, whether it be establishing partnerships to test technologies or platforms for information sharing. Others, such as Finnish regions, may have innovation centres or clusters, yet collaboration is predominantly confined to large-scale industry actors. The lack of these platforms can reduce the appetite for universities and particularly small businesses to innovate as they lack information, support and collaboration to access funding and test technology (Haukipuro et al., 2023[53]). Regional authorities can therefore play an essential role in facilitating the establishment of such spaces to support information and collaboration for innovation in the mining sector.

Furthermore, there is a large distance between innovation ecosystems (companies and universities) located in regional or national capitals and local entrepreneurs in mining regions. This geographic and institutional gap limits knowledge transfer, collaboration and access to critical resources, creating challenges for SMEs looking to establish and scale up. Without direct connections to research institutions and multinational companies, small businesses struggle to integrate cutting-edge technologies, adopt sustainable mining practices or develop innovative solutions that could enhance their competitiveness. Universities also then have difficulty in effectively commercialising new research and development without links to SMEs on the ground (Correia, Falck and Komac, 2024[54]). As a result, entrepreneurs in mining regions without innovation centres often operate in isolation, missing out on potential synergies that drive innovation.

SMEs in mining regions often face economic and regulatory barriers to innovation

Across the European Union, there is an unfavourable investment landscape for start-ups and small companies, making it difficult for SMEs in mining regions to secure the capital necessary for utilising new technologies in the mining sector and scaling up (Garcia-Martinez et al., 2023[55]). Regions often do not have the available resources to help fund these SMEs and the European Union currently has a smaller venture capital market than China or the United States, making up only 5% of global venture capital funds, and has insufficient seed and scale‑up financing (Draghi, 2024[24]). This represents constrained growth potential for SMEs in EU mining regions.

Stark regulatory differences across the European Union impacts the success of SMEs in the mining sector as it becomes difficult to scale up and operate across the markets of multiple member states (Bertello et al., 2021[56]). Some regulatory barriers across the European Union also inhibit the creation of SMEs around new technologies in the sector. This includes complex intellectual property rights and legislation that is counterproductive to the sustainability goals of the sector. For instance, in Finland, many mine tailings are high in sulphur and, due to waste legislation, are considered hazardous waste and not accepted for use. This prevents the adoption of circular economy activities that could utilise these tailings for other purposes such as backfill in mine sites or a substitute for concrete (GTK Mintec, 2023[57]). The bureaucratic hurdles of operating across markets and complicated processes for funding applications are also financial and time intensive for small businesses, often creating limited incentive to participate.

Priority actions to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem for mining sustainability

Improving regional innovation ecosystems from mining requires actions at various levels of government. At the EU level, pressing tasks include simplifying regulatory frameworks, including providing uniform intellectual property rights, reducing administrative barriers to scaling across EU markets and adjusting legislation such as waste classification to enable sustainable activities such as circular economy. As suggested by Draghi (2024[24]), the adoption of a unitary patent in all EU member states and the establishment of a single digital identity for companies to harmonise legislation concerning commercialisation of new technology for the mining sector is a building block to ease innovation across members.

At the national level, governments can develop robust financing ecosystems including expanding incentives for seed capital investors and improving conditions for commercialisation of new technologies developed for the mining sector. They can act as the bridge between EU-level funding and initiatives and regional implementation, streamlining processes for local governments.

Regions themselves can play a crucial role in enhancing innovation for mining across three main areas: i) linking actors within the region to foster innovation; ii) connecting EU and national funds with regional stakeholders; and iii) promoting infrastructure for innovation.

Linking actors within the region to foster innovation

Mining regions can connect different regional actors to advance innovation projects linked to industry needs and ensure the participation of SMEs in this process. Linking current or new companies with universities and entrepreneurs to address specific challenges can be a first action to strengthen the regional business ecosystem (Kindt, Geissler and Bühling, 2022[58]).

Additionally, regional governments can gather and share information about regional business and entrepreneurship initiatives, which might help large companies and universities identify potential partners. This includes creating centralised platforms or databases that map local SMEs, their capabilities and ongoing projects, making it easier for stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaboration. Such platforms could also provide updates on funding opportunities, training programmes or innovation initiatives relevant to the mining sector, especially support in applying for EU innovation funds. Business agencies are well-positioned to take on this role, reducing information gaps by acting as intermediaries between regional actors and facilitating regular communication through networking events, workshops and public-private dialogue fora (Box 3.10).

Box 3.10. Connecting SMEs with mining innovation activities

Business Joensuu, Finland

Business Joensuu in Finland plays a crucial role in supporting SMEs to start and scale up by providing tailored business development services and access to essential resources. It acts as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs, offering guidance on establishing businesses, navigating regulations and accessing markets. This centre connects SMEs in the area with funding opportunities, including grants and investment networks, and provides hands-on support for preparing funding applications. By fostering collaboration with regional innovation ecosystems and offering mentoring programmes, Business Joensuu provides SMEs with tools and networks to grow sustainably and competitively (Business Joensuu, 2025[59]).

Swedish Mining Innovation platform, Bergslagen node.

In 2021, Swedish Mining Innovation established a “Bergslagen node” in 2021 to connect mining actors in the region. Since its launch, the node has carried out several events, workshops and collaborations including Mining Lunches, AI in Mining, Mining@ORU, a Mining Safari Bergslagen student tour, among others. It has helped integrate other innovation platforms into mining-related activities, such as the AI Impact Lab, a partnership between Örebro University and Region Örebro County that makes artificial intelligence expertise accessible to local SMEs (Vinnova, 2023[60]).

Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation, Sudbury, Canada

The Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), established in 2007 in Sudbury, Ontario, is a not-for-profit organisation driving innovation in the mining sector. Initially funded by the Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, the city of Greater Sudbury and industry stakeholders, CEMI focuses on addressing challenges like deep mining, energy efficiency, safety and sustainability. Notably, it led the Ultra-Deep Mining Network, a USD 46 million initiative tackling the complexities of mining at great depths. Through collaboration with all levels of government (federal, provincial, municipal), academic institutions and industry partners, CEMI supports the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies, strengthening regional economic growth and positioning Ontario as a global leader in mining innovation (CEMI, 2025[61]).

Sources: Business Joensuu (2025[59]), Homepage, https://businessjoensuu.fi/en/; Vinnova (2023[60]), Bergslagen Mining Node, https://www.vinnova.se/en/p/bergslagen-mining-node/; CEMI (2025[61]), Homepage, https://www.cemi.ca/.

Connecting EU and national funds with regional stakeholders

Regional governments can play an important role in developing strong partnerships between EU funding programmes, such as Horizon Europe, with universities and mining companies to both support technology needs for the sector and develop regionally specific plans for the adoption of this technology.

Regions are also instrumental in bridging actors and funding information. Accessing EU funds requires times and capacity to access information and navigate bureaucracy, which might deter companies and entrepreneurs from accessing funding.

Regions also have the tools to identify strategic projects for their innovation ecosystem and support them with co-investment, which has been proven to be conducive to concrete outcomes in many regions. For instance, the regional council of North Karelia has been instrumental in providing seed funding and channelling EU funds to a raw-material processing facility, which is expected to be the anchor activity for a mining industry service hub in the municipality of Outokumpu (Box 3.11).

Box 3.11. Regional support to GTK Mintec in North Karelia, Finland

GTK Mintec is Geological Survey of Finland’s mineral processing pilot plant and research facility for minerals in Outokumpu, Finland. This is a unique, almost industrial-scale laboratory and a pilot plant for assessing the impacts of mining and mining waste on water streams and the environment under real conditions. It focuses on critical raw materials, battery minerals and base metals from primary and secondary sources (GTK Mintec, 2025[62]).

In 2024, GTK Mintec opened its new research facilities for developing innovative ways to recycle mining waste and enhance the management and recycling of water in the mining industry.

The key aim of this laboratory is to develop innovations and provide research services for different mineral-related industries (mainly the mining, chemistry and metal industries).

The Regional Council of North Karelia was instrumental in financially supporting the development of this pilot plant, funding GTK Mintec’s research projects promoting sustainable mining and the circular economy with EUR 3.3 million. The council mainly funded two projects:

• SMARTTEST, a smart circular economy field-testing platform for extractive waste and side streams to be developed during 2023-26. The council channelled funding into this project from the European Regional Development Fund (GTK Mintec, 2025[63]).

• MINECOIN, an innovation platform for sustainable mineral economics, for which the region used the Just Transition Fund for funding support (GTK Mintec, 2025[64]).

To connect GTK Mintec with the local economy and businesses, the Regional Council of North Karelia also granted funding to the Outokumpu Mining Hub project. This project is network based on the cooperation among Business Joensuu and GTK together with companies to help companies to design and implement sustainable processes and technologies for mine waste management and water treatment (Business Joensuu, 2025[65]).

Sources: GTK Mintec (2025[62]), Homepage, https://minetek.com/fr/; GTK Mintec (2025[64]), Innovation Platform for Sustainable Mineral Economics MINECOIN, https://www.gtk.fi/en/research-project/innovation-platform-for-sustainable-mineral-economics-minecoin/; Business Joensuu (2025[65]), Outokumpu Mining Hub, https://businessjoensuu.fi/en/outokumpu-mining-hub.

Promoting centres and favourable environments for innovation

Developing favourable environments for modern regional clusters, ecosystems and networks is also vital. This will enable regional and inter-regional actors to provide complementary competencies and engage in cross sectoral linkages. Developing processing or testing centres and the circular economy are some of the positive actions taken across a number of the ten EU mining regions. These centres can work as laboratories, network platforms and consulting bodies for the public and private sectors, for example to develop frameworks that address regulatory adjustments needed to support innovation in the mining sector. They can also play a particular role in supporting SMEs. They have acted as focal points to ease financial access to SMEs, from public and private sources, and improve information for SMEs to navigate regulatory and bureaucratic process for expansion or EU funding support.

For processing or testing, centres can provide state-of-the-art facilities where SMEs and entrepreneurs can trial new technologies and test innovation techniques in real conditions. By offering shared infrastructure, these centres reduce the costs and risks associated with innovation for smaller companies. Additionally, these test centres can partner with research institutions to develop pilot projects that address specific regional challenges, such as refining methods to extract valuable minerals from tailings or creating substitutes for raw materials in industrial processes. Test centres can also be an innovative way to reuse old mine sites, utilising EU or national funds and partnering with companies to establish laboratories in old or abandoned mines that create local added value (Amoah and Stemn, 2018[66]). The Callio Lab in Finland is a great example of this, as a new environment for underground research and testing located in the old Pyhäsalmi Mine in Northern Ostrobothnia, with ongoing scientific experiments and over 120 peer‑reviewed articles published (Callio Lab, 2025[67]).

Advancing circular economy activities in mining regions including reuse of tailings requires stronger connections with entrepreneurs or universities as this is not the core business of mining companies. Mine sites often deal with multiple requests for collaboration and participation in innovation projects, on top of core business and community and environmental requests (Antony Jose et al., 2024[68]). Therefore, establishing dedicated circular economy centres in mining regions could serve as hubs for innovation, bringing together mining companies, entrepreneurs and universities to collaborate on sustainable solutions. These centres can focus on facilitating partnerships, providing technical expertise and aligning regional innovation efforts with the specific needs of the mining sector, helping to advance circular economy activities at a greater scale. Regions can utilise EU and national funding and utilise partnerships to advance on creating circular economy centres to both support the mining sector and provide opportunities for local SMEs.

Across the five countries of this study, there are best practice examples of centres and clusters parks that help facilitate the innovation ecosystem (Box 3.12).

Box 3.12. Sample of EU regional centres and clusters for mining innovation

Lapland Circular Economy Centre, Finland

In Lapland, the Circular Economy Centre at technology park Digipolis leads a network of eco‑industrial parks that serves as a vital hub for collaboration and innovation. This centre provides expertise and fosters connections among entrepreneurs, SMEs and investors, facilitating the sharing of resources and knowledge. The network helps local businesses adopt circular economy practices, driving regional development and environmental sustainability (Kiertotalouskeskus Circular Economy Centre, 2024[69]).

Circular Economy Centre on Ceramics, Portugal

The Circular Economy Centre on Ceramics in Centro supports local SMEs in the ceramics industry. It promotes sustainable practices by encouraging the reuse and recycling of materials and offers technical support, training and access to new technologies through partnerships with universities (INOV, 2024[70]).

CEMIS Consortium, Kainuu, Finland

CEMIS in Finland is a university consortium specialising in advanced research on monitoring systems and water treatment. It includes members like Kajaani University of Applied Sciences and the Unit of Measurement Technology from Oulu University. As a technology, research and training centre, CEMIS supports the development of innovative solutions in environmental monitoring and water purification, promoting collaboration between academia and industry to enhance technological capabilities and environmental sustainability (CEMIS, 2025[71]).

Sources: Kiertotalouskeskus Circular Economy Centre (2024[69]), The Network of Eco-industrial Parks, https://www.digipolis.fi/en/circulareconomycentre/the-network-of-eco-industrial-parks; INOV (2024[70]), EcoCerâmica e Cristalaria de Portugal, https://inov.pt/en/project/ecp/index.html; CEMIS (2025[71]), Homepage, https://www.cemis.fi/en/.

In sum

Regional government, authorities and agencies can enhance the regional innovation ecosystem by:

• Bringing together regional actors in an innovation ecosystem that meets mining industry needs and involves regional SMEs in the innovation process. This involves:

  • Creating and supporting network platforms for exchange of knowledge and project proposals.

  • Facilitating connections between regional universities and geological institutions to promote research exchange, synergies for innovation and upskilling. For example, joint professorship (where one person works for both institutions) or joint research programmes between universities, innovation centres or geological institutions can be instrumental.

  • Utilising EU and national funding and private partnerships to create processing and test centres, allowing innovations to be trialled in realistic conditions.

  • Mapping existing Horizon Europe projects and other EU innovation projects in the region to consolidate information and support synergies among them.

• Supporting regional business to access programmes and funding for mineral-related projects. This involves:

  • Reducing information gaps for regional businesses to understand and access EU funding mechanisms.

  • Channelling EU funds for strategic projects for the region by leveraging EU funds for innovation. Funding support should help the region benefit from the green and digital transition in mining, for example providing support funding to develop mining waste recovery and wastewater treatment solutions.

  • Facilitating local businesses’ and entrepreneurs’ access to information about funding programmes, requirements and process.

  • Supporting the creation of innovation centres and clusters to guide local business’ innovation, new regulation of public agencies and serve as pilot or testing spaces for mining-related innovation.

Infrastructure to ensure sustainable and efficient mining sectors in EU regions

Adequate infrastructure to support competitive mining projects is still needed in many EU regions, as some areas with mineral potential are far from urban centres or not sufficiently prepared to connect industrial activities with transport or energy infrastructure (Vidal, 2024[72]). Logistics and transport infrastructure such as railways, roads and ports are critical to improve project competitiveness, helping to bring in inputs and workforce and export raw materials. Likewise, affordable energy is recognised as a main cost factor in decision making on mineral and tailing projects.

Access to renewable energy infrastructure has become relevant for projects to reduce their operation footprint, improve project attractiveness in view of responsible investments and enhance resilience against the cost of fossil fuel energy (Igogo et al., 2021[73]).

Proper planning of transport infrastructure is also relevant to improve social acceptance of the project and leverage investments to enhance infrastructure for hosting municipalities. Mining projects can help to modernise transport infrastructure and housing in some municipalities or bring new transport modes and electricity. Castro Verde in Alentejo and Rio Tinto in Andalusia are examples of areas that have leveraged mining projects to build road and community infrastructure.

These infrastructures, however, require significant investment and planning to design and implement solutions that allow greener industrial processes and align with the interests of local communities (Regueiro and Alonso-Jimenez, 2021[74]).

Challenges in ensuring competitive infrastructure for mining across EU regions

Ensuring appropriate infrastructure for mining projects in the European Union requires overcoming a number of challenges that are linked to: i) the remoteness or historical isolation of some rural areas with mineral potential, which leads to increased costs; ii) land-use management with communities and other economic sectors; and iii) high energy costs due to a reliance on fossil fuels.

Remoteness or isolation can create challenges in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, leading to heightened costs for investment compared to mining jurisdictions with established infrastructure (Vidal, 2024[72]). Many municipalities with mineral potential across the ten EU regions are either located far from urban centres – Sodankylä in Lapland or Ilomantsi in North Karelia – or isolated, with basic road infrastructure less adapted to heavy industry, such as in Covilhã in Portugal. For instance, EU rural regions and areas have significantly higher road lengths per capita, but their road performance is lower as they are not as well maintained due to costs and rugged terrain (EC, 2022[75]).

Challenges in land-use management and process for infrastructure can be a source of social unrest within communities and other economic sectors can create delays and extra cost in infrastructure deployment. The most common example is a competing use of road infrastructure with the local community, traditional land intensive activities such as reindeer herding, tourism or the renewable energy sector. Given the lack of railway transport to connect to ports and exporting facilities, many mining projects in EU regions (Alentejo, Central Greece, Central Ostrobothnia, Lapland) rely on road infrastructure to transport inputs and raw materials. This can lead to conflicts with local communities if trucks go by or near towns or hamper traffic and deteriorate infrastructure in the region. The infrastructure demands from various economic sectors can also negatively impact energy supply systems and roads.

Some regions across the European Union still rely on the continued use of fossil fuel to run mining operations. This leads to costly and environmentally damaging processes and discourages investments in value-added and revalorisation activities. In regions like Central Greece and North Karelia, mining companies point to the cost of energy as one of the main factors making it economically difficult to undertake a mineral valorisation process or reuse tailings.

Implementation of renewable energy infrastructure to ensure green and affordable energy for these projects faces a number of challenges:

• Technical challenges include energy variability of renewable sources (mining requires constant high-quality energy), heat requirements for mining operations and limited storage capacity of existing battery technologies to address energy variability (Igogo et al., 2021[73]).

• Economic and investment barriers for these projects also exist due to high upfront costs, with challenges in acquiring the appropriate knowledge and expertise within regions to deploy this infrastructure and implement it into mine design and operations (Pouresmaieli et al., 2023[76]).

• Complex and timely permitting processes for renewable energy projects across the European Union increases the costs associated with installing this infrastructure and delays their swift deployment. For instance, as of the end of 2022, there was over 80 gigawatts of wind projects stuck in permitting procedures across the union. As with mining, environmental impact analysis processes and conflicts on land-use delay permitting processes (Euractiv, 2023[77]).

Therefore, infrastructure deployment for mining projects needs adequate management and planning, ensuring consultation with communities and co‑ordination with other economic sectors. This is particularly important for regions that expect various mining and energy projects in the coming years, which would all rely on the same regional infrastructure.

Priority actions at the regional level for meeting infrastructure needs in EU mining regions

Despite these challenges, many mining regions have begun implementing policies to support or upgrade transport and renewable energy infrastructure to support more sustainable and efficient mining operations. This includes regional plans to support renewable energy usage in small non-metallic mining operations, such us in Alentejo and Andalusia. In Central Greece, there are planned upgrades to roads to mitigate the impact of mining on local roads. Central Ostrobothnia is also planning freight transport times on local roads in concertation with local residents to avoid congestion and noise.

In parallel, mining companies are also increasing their investments in renewable energy for self‑consumption. These investments could be leveraged by the region to anchor the expansion of the renewable energy supply in the region and reduce energy demand to the regional network for communities and other industrial activities. Aljustrel Mine in Portugal is a positive example of a company investing in a large solar park for self-consumption (Box 3.13).

Box 3.13. Renewable energy investments for mining projects self-consumption, Aljustrel Mine, Portugal

Renewable energy investments are transforming the mining sector, with self-consumption projects leading the charge toward sustainability. Aljustrel Mine in Portugal, operated by Almina-Minas do Alentejo, S.A., exemplifies this shift with its EUR 20 million investment in a solar power plant dedicated entirely to self-consumption. Launched in December 2023, the facility is the largest of its kind in Europe, showcasing the potential of renewable energy to power mining operations.

The Aljustrel solar plant has an installed capacity of 27.5 megawatts peak, generating approximately 41 gigawatt hour of electricity annually, enough to meet 25% of the mine’s energy needs. This transition to renewable energy reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 8 000 tonnes per year, significantly shrinking the mine’s carbon footprint. By producing clean energy on site, mining projects can lower operational costs, enhance energy security and align with global sustainability goals.

By adopting solar, wind and other clean energy technologies, mining companies can address environmental challenges while improving efficiency. Aljustrel’s success demonstrates how such investments not only mitigate environmental impacts but also provide a competitive edge in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.

Sources: Correio Alentejo (2022[78]), “Aljustrel Mine to Have Europe’s largest solar plant for self-consumption”; Expresso (2023[79]), “Almina starts solar production for self-consumption after investment of more than EUR20 million”.

Some regions have also leveraged mining projects to upgrade broadband connectivity, road connections and community infrastructure like housing and sport facilities. Minig company Boliden’s support to the hockey stadium in Sodankylä is an example of leveraging mining wealth to improve sport infrastructure in a remote municipality. Rio Tinto invested in developing a community for its early mining projects in Andalusia, showcasing its commitment to long-term planning through significant community investment (Box 3.14).

Box 3.14. The town of Minas de Riotinto, Spain

The Rio Tinto Company Limited (RTC) exemplifies how mining companies can invest in community infrastructure through its developments in the Rio Tinto mining area of Andalusia. To support its growing workforce, the RTC built neighbourhoods such as Alto de la Mesa, El Valle and La Atalaya, providing essential housing and amenities for miners and their families. The company also invested in community facilities, including a town hall, company store, church, hospital and railroad station, as well as healthcare services like the English Hospital in Huelva, which offers free care to disadvantaged individuals.

In addition to housing and healthcare, the RTC contributed to urban development and recreation. The company’s workshops and facilities employed hundreds of workers, transforming the urban landscape of Huelva. The RTC also promoted leisure and sports by constructing facilities such as Spain’s first tennis court and supporting the Recreativo de Huelva, one of Spain’s oldest football club. These efforts highlight the RTC’s commitment to creating sustainable communities that support both its operations and the well-being of its employees and their families.

Source: Andalusia. (n.d.[80]), The Town of Minas de Riotinto, https://www.andalucia.com/province/huelva/minas-de-rio-tinto/home.htm.

Despite these efforts, there are a number of actions regional actors could undertake to facilitate an appropriate infrastructure deployment for mining projects:

• Supporting the maintenance of existing infrastructure through agreements with current and new mining projects. Supporting the maintenance of existing infrastructure and creation of new infrastructure through agreements with companies can ensure long-term usability for the industry and improve liveability in mining regions.

Box 3.15. Mount Isa City Council and Flying Whales partnership, Queensland, Australia

In 2024, Mount Isa City Council in Queensland signed a memorandum of understanding with French‑Canadian aeronautical company Flying Whales to establish an airship base in the region. This USD 50 million project aims to utilise large cargo airships capable of transporting up to 60 tonnes, facilitating logistics and infrastructure development in the remote mining areas surrounding Mount Isa. The initiative is expected to create 100 direct jobs by 2028 and is seen as a sustainable solution to supply chain challenges in the mining sector, exemplifying how a local government can actively engage with private companies to develop innovative infrastructure solutions that support the mining industry and promote regional economic growth.

Source: ABC News (2024[81]), “Airship network Flying Whales signs up Mount Isa as first base to revolutionise freight transport”, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-11/outback-town-launches-airship-cargo/104457420.

• Co‑ordinating use of road infrastructure with regional industries through previous mapping of needs with the industry and a participatory transport plan involving communities. For example, the Chalkida and Psachna Bypass project in Central Greece, with a cost of EUR 210 million, is a significant step towards co‑ordinating road infrastructure with regional industries and community needs. By facilitating traffic on the new road and significantly reducing travel times, the project aims to enhance the transportation network while improving traffic conditions in affected urban areas. This is expected to have a positive impact on the environment and support the economic development of the wider region. Additionally, the bypass creates safe and efficient road axis, aligning with the tourism and economic potential of northern Evia.

• Advocating for upgraded transport infrastructure with the national government, benefitting the momentum for industrialisation. In the Artic regions, the renewed need to enhance self-defence is an opportunity to improve infrastructure that would support military operations.

• Promoting greater deployment of renewable energy, leveraging the potential benefits from industrial and mining projects. This can be done through:

  • Agreements with mining companies to leverage investments in renewable energy projects for self-consumption and to extend energy supply to hosting communities.

  • Joint plans with national governments to incentivise deployment of renewable energy projects in the region.

• Capitalising on national investments to upgrade transport infrastructure. For example, in Lapland, a few upcoming projects are underway to improve connectivity and energy resilience, including the logistics and security project New North to connect the northern regions in Finland, Sweden and Norway and the railway electrification between Finland and Sweden. Deployment of these projects requires effective collaboration and partnerships across governments and between regions and private companies to ensure streamlined planning and potential links with mining investments.

Box 3.16. National investments to upgrade transport infrastructure in Northern Finland: The New North project

The New North project aims to improve transportation and logistics in Northern Finland, with a key focus on the new Artic Circle Railway of Lapland. This proposed railway plan includes additional links to the Svappavaara railroad in Northern Sweden, fostering enhanced cross-border connectivity. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency and the Swedish Transport Administration. Supported by EUR 2 million in EU Interreg Aurora funding, the project is designed to boost economic growth, promote sustainable transport solutions and ensure reliable access to essential services in remote areas. It represents a strategic investment in infrastructure planning and development for the region.

Source: Barents Euro-Arctic Council (2024[82]), “New North Project seeks to advance logistics and transportation in the High North”, https://barents-council.org/news/new-north-project-seeks-to-advance-logistics-and-transportation-in-the-high-north.

In sum

Ensuring other EU mining regions can improve their transport and renewables infrastructure requires the following:

• Strengthening collaboration in infrastructure planning and investment. Addressing the high costs and land-use conflicts in remote EU mining regions requires co‑ordinated efforts between national and regional governments, mining companies and local communities. Collaborative approaches can streamline planning and co-investment, as seen in projects like Lapland’s New North, ensuring infrastructure meets both sectoral and community needs.

• Reducing barriers to renewable energy infrastructure deployment. High upfront costs, permitting delays and technical challenges limit the adoption of renewable energy in mining operations. Simplifying permitting processes, offering financial incentives and investing in technical solutions can accelerate green energy infrastructure deployment, lowering costs and environmental impacts.

• Upgrading transport and logistics infrastructure to support mining and community needs. Poorly maintained or underdeveloped transport networks hinder mining competitiveness and strain shared resources. Upgrading railways, roads and ports – such as the electrification of railways in Lapland – can improve efficiency, reduce social resistance and support broader value chains like battery recycling.

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Note

← 1.  The ECOEMPOWER project, by the EU LIFE programme, supports the creation of local and regional energy communities through setting up “one-stop shops”, which are physical and virtual hubs for communities and stakeholders to collaborate, access resources and spread awareness of existing and upcoming energy projects. It currently takes the form of a three-year pilot project involving five regional authorities in Czechia, France, Germany, Greece and Italy.